立法會 Legislative Council LC Paper No. CB(2)778/20-21 (These minutes have been seen by the Administration) Ref : CB2/PL/WS Panel on Welfare Services Minutes of meeting held on Monday, 23 November 2020, at 10:45 am in Conference Room 1 of the Legislative Council Complex Members : Dr Hon CHIANG Lai-wan, SBS, JP (Chairman) present Hon YIU Si-wing, BBS (Deputy Chairman) Hon WONG Ting-kwong, GBS, JP Hon CHAN Hak-kan, BBS, JP Hon Michael TIEN Puk-sun, BBS, JP Hon Steven HO Chun-yin, BBS Hon CHAN Han-pan, BBS, JP Hon LEUNG Che-cheung, SBS, MH, JP Hon Alice MAK Mei-kuen, BBS, JP Hon KWOK Wai-keung, JP Hon Elizabeth QUAT, BBS, JP Hon POON Siu-ping, BBS, MH Hon Holden CHOW Ho-ding Hon Wilson OR Chong-shing, MH Hon YUNG Hoi-yan, JP Dr Hon Pierre CHAN Hon CHAN Chun-ying, JP Hon LUK Chung-hung, JP Hon LAU Kwok-fan, MH Hon Kenneth LAU Ip-keung, BBS, MH, JP Dr Hon CHENG Chung-tai Hon Vincent CHENG Wing-shun, MH, JP - 2 - Members : Hon Starry LEE Wai-king, SBS, JP absent Hon Christopher CHEUNG Wah-fung, SBS, JP Hon Martin LIAO Cheung-kong, GBS, JP Hon CHEUNG Kwok-kwan, JP Public Officers : Items III and IV attending Mr HO Kai-ming, JP Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare Labour and Welfare Bureau Item III Ms Michelle LAM Wai-yip Assistant Director (Social Security) Social Welfare Department Mr Andrew KWAN Kai-ming Senior Statistician (Social Welfare) Social Welfare Department Item IV Ms Linda LAW Lai-tan Principal Assistant Secretary for Labour and Welfare (Welfare) 3 Labour and Welfare Bureau Prof Alice CHONG Ming-lin Senior Researcher (2) Labour and Welfare Bureau Prof Hector TSANG Wing-hong Chair Professor and Head of Department of Rehabilitation Sciences The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Clerk in : Miss Lilian MOK attendance Chief Council Secretary (2) 4 - 3 - Staff in : Ms Catherina YU attendance Senior Council Secretary (2) 4 Mr Roger CHUNG Council Secretary (2) 4 Miss Alison HUI Legislative Assistant (2) 4 Action I. Information paper(s) issued since the last meeting [LC Paper No. CB(2)316/20-21(01)] Members noted that a letter dated 12 November 2020 from Ms Elizabeth QUAT proposing items for discussion by the Panel in the 2020-2021 session had been issued since the last meeting. II. Items for discussion at the next meeting [LC Paper Nos. CB(2)337/20-21(01) and (02)] List of outstanding items for discussion 2. Noting that there were a number of proposed items pending discussion as shown in the List of outstanding items for discussion ("the List"), the Deputy Chairman requested the Administration to work with the Secretariat to re-categorize the items based on their key contents to facilitate members' discussion and make effective use of the meeting time. He also suggested that the Administration might provide information papers for some of the items for members to consider whether there was a need to continue to follow up on the matters concerned at a meeting. Referring to item 41 entitled "Charitable fund-raising activities" on the List, the Deputy Chairman noted with concern the rising number of online crowd-funding activities for various purposes in recent years. 3. The Chairman remarked that the Panel would, as in the past, spare no effort in following up on the proposed items on the List in the 2020-2021 session. As far as she understood, the Administration and the Secretariat had been reviewing the List and would make recommendations on the categorization of the proposed items for her consideration. If members had any proposed items for discussion by the Panel, they could inform the Secretariat in writing. - 4 - Policy briefing-cum-meeting on 14 December 2020 4. Members noted that the next regular meeting would be held on 14 December 2020 at 10:45 am to receive briefing by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare ("SLW") and the Secretary for Home Affairs ("SHA") on the Chief Executive ("CE")'s 2020 Policy Address. (Post-meeting note: Members were informed vide LC Paper No. CB(2)515/20-21 issued on 11 December 2020 that in view of the severe outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 ("COVID-19") in Hong Kong, the Chairman directed that the above policy briefing-cum-meeting be rescheduled to a later date. Subsequently, members were notified vide LC Paper No. CB(2)553/20-21 issued on 22 December 2020 that as per the Chairman's direction, an informal meeting would be conducted via Zoom videoconferencing on 30 December 2020 for the Panel to receive briefing by SLW and SHA on CE's 2020 Policy Address.) III. Annual adjustment of social security payment rates under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme and the Social Security Allowance Scheme, and issues relating to rent allowance under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme [LC Paper Nos. CB(2)337/20-21(03) and (04)] 5. At the invitation of the Chairman, Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare ("USLW") briefed members on: (a) the latest position of the Social Security Assistance Index of Prices ("SSAIP"), which registered a cumulative increase of 2.8% as compared to the average figure of October 2019, and the estimated corresponding adjustment to the standard payment rates under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance ("CSSA") Scheme and the rates of allowances under the Social Security Allowance ("SSA") Scheme starting from 1 February 2021 subject to the approval of the Finance Committee ("FC"); (b) the latest position of the Consumer Price Index (A) rent index for private housing ("rent index") and the estimated corresponding adjustment to the maximum rates of the rent allowance ("MRA") under the CSSA Scheme starting from - 5 - 1 February 2021 if approved by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury ("SFST"); and (c) the improvement measures for the CSSA Scheme in the CE's 2019 Policy Address, including the implementation of a significant increase in MRA on 1 July 2020 with the highest rate reaching 27%, raising the maximum level of the monthly disregarded earnings substantially, strengthening the employment support services, extending a range of supplement and special grants to eligible non-elderly able-bodied recipients, etc. Strengthening support for the unemployed 6. With the local unemployment rate continuing to rise since the outbreak of COVID-19, many members including the Deputy Chairman, Ms Alice MAK, Mr KWOK Wai-keung, Ms Elizabeth QUAT, Mr POON Siu-ping, Mr Holden CHOW, Mr Wilson OR, Ms YUNG Hoi-yan, Mr LUK Chung-hung and Mr Vincent CHENG expressed grave concern that when the Employment Support Scheme ("ESS") ended in November 2020, the waves of closures of enterprises would continue and the unemployment and underemployment rates would rise further. Ms YUNG expressed dissatisfaction with the Administration's failure to formulate a cohesive and comprehensive plan of policies to assist the unemployed during this difficult time. 7. USLW assured members that the Labour and Welfare Bureau ("LWB") was committed to serve those in need and provide various social welfare services for them. Having considered the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19 in Hong Kong, the Administration had launched the "Special Scheme of Assistance to the Unemployed" ("the Special Scheme") under the CSSA Scheme on 1 June 2020 for a period of six months to temporarily relax the asset limits for able-bodied persons by 100% to give targeted support for the unemployed and their families facing immediate economic difficulties. In September 2020, the Administration announced a further extension of the Special Scheme for six months until 31 May 2021. The Administration had been closely monitoring the unemployment situation and would provide timely assistance to persons in need. 8. Owing to the public's negative perception towards CSSA recipients, Mr Holden CHOW, Ms Elizabeth QUAT, Mr Wilson OR and Mr Vincent CHENG suggested looking into other effective means, say, establishing an unemployment assistance fund or further relaxing the asset limits for - 6 - applying for CSSA, to help the unemployed persons. Ms Alice MAK, Mr KWOK Wai-keung and Mr LUK Chung-hung also suggested disregarding the cash value of insurance policies in the calculation of the total value of capital assets under the CSSA Scheme and allowing applications for CSSA on individual basis. USLW advised that the Administration should be prudent in considering the establishment of an unemployment assistance fund as it would possibly bring about impact on the existing retirement protection regime. To relieve the imminent needs of the unemployed persons, expedient measures had already been taken through the CSSA Scheme. 9. To relieve people's hardship amidst the COVID-19 epidemic, Ms Elizabeth QUAT suggested that the Administration should consider allowing employees to withdraw the accrued benefits of their contributions in their Mandatory Provident Fund ("MPF") accounts to meet short-term financial needs. Mr KWOK Wai-keung called on the Administration to proactively enhance its communication with members of the public by arranging government officials to go to various districts from time to time to gauge public sentiment, which in turn deepened their understanding about the community needs. He further suggested that the Administration should provide surgical masks to CSSA and SSA recipients through the Social Welfare Department ("SWD") to relieve their financial burden arising from purchasing anti-epidemic items. 10. Noting that all employers participating in the MPF Schemes were eligible to apply for subsidies under ESS, the Deputy Chairman and Ms Elizabeth QUAT shared a similar view that ESS should provide more targeted support to the industries and trades hard hit by COVID-19. USLW advised that established under the Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office, the 6-month ESS aimed to provide time-limited financial support to employers to retain employees who might otherwise be made redundant.